


Metamorphosis

by Redvines1595



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Allura is kinda racist, Angst, Concerned Lance, First Kiss, Galra Keith (Voltron), Gender-Neutral Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Getting Together, Heavy Angst, Hunk is a good bro, Hurt/Comfort, Keith (Voltron) is Bad at Feelings, Keith (Voltron) is a Mess, Keith is hella gay, Keith is ticklish, M/M, Pining Keith (Voltron), Protective Lance (Voltron), Shiro is a Good Space Dad, minor season 2 spoilers, struggling Keith
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-17
Updated: 2017-06-27
Packaged: 2018-09-18 01:31:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 11,529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9359549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Redvines1595/pseuds/Redvines1595
Summary: Keith had started putting the pieces together long before it happened.





	1. Chapter 1

Keith had started putting the pieces together long before it happened. 

It began on the Galra ship when they went to get the Red Lion. The symbol on the wall. There was just something so familiar about it. He didn’t know how to explain it at the time and brushed it off as nothing, but it made a lot more sense now.

It happened again when they went to free Shay and the other Balmerans from Galran rule. He and Lance had broken into the hangar control room to close the doors and prevent the fleet from escaping. It had been a simple task once they had figured it out and he thought nothing of it. And then they found Zarkon’s secret base. “Shiro’s hand is made from Galra tech,” Pidge had said. “It’s the only thing we have that will allow us to interface with their systems and gather intel.” If that was the case, why had he been able to close the doors with his own hand?

“You fight like a Galra.” Zarkon’s words echoed in his mind long after they had escaped. They haunted his dreams. He threw himself into his training in an attempt to clear his mind, but it only resulted in worried looks from the others, making him feel worse. They had enough going on. They didn’t need to worry about him, too. After that, Keith stayed close to his friends and he did manage to forget for a while. But then things began to change.

\-----

Keith awoke one morning, running his fingers through his messy hair with a yawn. He hobbled over to the adjoining bathroom and flicked the light on before beginning to undress. He stepped under the hot spray of water with a sigh. He washed up, enjoying the heat on his sore muscles. He finished up and grabbed a towel before stepping out of the shower, wrapping it around his waist as he hummed softly to himself. He was in an unusually good mood for some reason, not that it wasn’t welcome.

However, that good mood disappeared as soon as he cleared away the fog from the mirror. Keith gasped, stumbling back a bit and nearly falling over. He regained his balance as he stared at his reflection in the mirror with wide eyes. His eyes. Their normal grey color had been replaced by a deep purple. 

Keith carefully stepped closer to the mirror, staring into the reflection of his eyes. /It has to be the lighting/, he thought to himself as he turned his head to see if it made any difference. It didn’t, of course. He sighed and shook his head. He was probably just imagining it. Looking away from his reflection, Keith finished getting ready for the day. Maybe if he didn’t think about it, they would go back to normal?

He sat at the table with breakfast with the other paladins before a long day of training. He kept his head down as he ate, listening as Pidge and Lance bickered about some inane topic. “Keith, what do you think?”

The red paladin looked up suddenly at the sound of his name, regretting it instantly. He watched as Lance’s eyes widened and quickly looked down at his bowl of goo. “Keith? You okay, buddy?”

Keith nodded his head with a shrug. “Yeah, I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?”

He nearly flinched when Lance reached out and touched his arm gently. “Are you sure?” Lance asked him quietly so the others wouldn’t hear. “You… You look like you’ve been crying. Which is fine. I cry all the time.” He shrugged offering a small smile. 

“I haven’t been crying.” He shook his head, not allowing himself to look at Lance again. “I’m fine.”

“Look, I get it. You don’t want to show any signs of weakness or whatever. But it’s okay. You’ve been pretty fucked up since your fight with Zarkon and-”

“I said, I’m fine!” Keith shouted at him, drawing the attention of Allura, Coran, and the other paladins. He clenched his fists, breathing deeply as he glanced around the room at everyone’s shocked faces.

“Keith?” Lance’s voice was small and quiet, drawing Keith’s eyes to him. The blue paladin looked like he was on the verge of tears.

Something tugged at Keith deep within his chest as he met Lance’s eyes. No one deserved to be yelled at like that, but especially not Lance. Despite what he wanted people to think, Lance had a kind heart. He was only trying to help Keith but he had snapped at him in response. Keith stood, not taking his eyes off Lance. “Sorry,” he mumbled quietly before walking out of the room.

Keith had thought about going to the training deck, but instead found himself back in his bedroom, staring at his reflection in the mirror. He rubbed his eyes, hoping they would somehow return to their original color. He sighed in frustration, throwing his fist at the wall. The pain that should have been there didn’t register with his brain, but the sound of the door opening did.

He stepped back out into his room, frowning when he saw Shiro standing there with his arms crossed over his chest. “What the hell was that?” The black paladin asked sharply.

Keith sighed and rubbed his forehead. “I already apologized-”

“I don’t care! That’s not how your treat the members of this team and it’s especially not how you treat your friends. Do you have any idea how freaked out Lance is right now? He thinks you’re mad at him or something.”

What? Keith could never be mad at Lance. Well, other than that one time… “I’m not mad at him,” he replied softly, looking down and wrapping his arms around himself.

“Well, then you’d better tell him that,” Shiro replied before letting out a heavy sigh, his voice lowering. “We’re a team, Keith. We’re supposed to help each other. Just remember that, okay?” He didn’t wait for a reply before turning to leave the room.

Keith sat down on the edge of the bed and looked down at his hands. /What the hell is wrong with you?/ He asked himself, laying back and hugging his knees to his chest.


	2. Chapter 2

For the next few days, Keith would wake up in the morning and hope to find that his eyes had returned to their original grey, but he was always met with disappointment. It became more and more difficult to avoid the others, especially with Lance trying to corner him every chance he got.

The blue paladin had finally succeeded, finding Keith on the training deck. Keith was in the middle of fighting the gladiator when he saw Lance standing in the doorway, causing him to stumble and fall back just as the robot was about to strike. “End training session!” He shouted, sighing in relief when the gladiator shut down. 

Before he knew it, Lance was standing above Keith, holding a hand out to him with a small smile. “Don’t worry, man. I won’t tell anyone you slipped up while fighting the gladiator.”

Keith couldn’t help the smile that appeared on his face as he took his friend’s hand. “Oh, like you could do any better against a level four gladiator,” he chuckled softly as he got to his feet.

The grin Lance gave him made his stomach do a flip. “Maybe not, but I bet I could still beat you,” he replied, nudging Keith with his elbow.

“In your dreams.” Keith pushed him slightly as they laughed softly. After a moment, he sighed and scratched the back of his neck. “Lance, I… I’m really sorry about what happened the other day. I shouldn’t have snapped at you like that.”

“Hey, man, it’s fine,” Lance replied with a shrug. “We all have bad days.”

“But that doesn’t make it okay,” Keith shook his head, avoiding Lance’s gaze. “You were just trying to help and I could have handled it better.”

“Keith.” The red paladin looked up at him, meeting his eyes. “It’s fine. I just… If you need someone to talk to, I’ll be here. And if you don’t want to talk to me, I’m sure the others wouldn’t mind either.” Lance smiled a bit and placed his hand on Keith’s arm. “You’re not alone anymore.”

Keith smiled a bit and opened his mouth to say something just as someone cleared their throat behind them. The two turned to see Hunk and Pidge smiling at them. “Oh, sorry,” Pidge said with a raised brow. “Were you two having a moment?”

“Come on, Pidge,” Lance said as he put his arm around Keith’s shoulders. “We’re just a couple of bros being bros.”

Keith’s heart sank at his words and he let out a nervous laugh. “Yeah... Bros...” He raised his arm to scratch the back of his neck, causing his black t-shirt to ride up a bit.

Hunk let out an audible gasp as his eyes widened. “Dude, what were you doing to get /that/?” He pointed at Keith’s exposed skin, causing the others’ eyes to widen as well.

“Whoa!” Pidge exclaimed as they stepped forward, pushing up the hem of Keith’s shirt further. “It’s huge!”

“What- Hey! Pidge!” Keith stepped away, trying to pull his shirt back down. “What the hell, guys?”

“How do you not know that you’ve got a massive bruise on your side?” Hunk asked with a raised brow as Pidge and Lance both tried to get a closer look, eventually tackling Keith to the floor.

Lance held him down and Keith felt his face heat up, but covered it up by fighting back. “Come on, guys. Let me up!” Pidge pushed up his shirt some more and he laughed as they poked the spot. “Pidge! Pidge, stop! Stop- It- That tickles!”

Lance loosened his hold on Keith and looked down at him with furrowed brows. “Wait. It doesn’t hurt? Like, at all?”

“It must be some kind of weird purple birthmark.” Keith’s eyes widened at Hunk’s comment.

“What the hell did I just walk into?” All four heads turned to see Shiro standing in the doorway. 

“Keith’s got this huge birthmark on his side,” Pidge explained. “You’ve gotta see it!” Keith used their distraction to his advantage, pushing Lance and Pidge off of him before bolting for the door. “What’s his problem?” Pidge asked with furrowed brows.

The paladins looked up to Shiro as he stared after Keith incredulously. “Keith doesn’t have a birthmark like that…”

\------

Keith stood in front of the mirror and pulled his shirt off, gasping when he finally got a look at the purple patch of skin. The color was splayed across his chest and travelled down his side before disappearing beneath the waistband of his jeans. “Oh, god.” He let out a shaky breath and gripped onto the sink tightly to hold himself up.

This wasn’t good.

Keith’s greatest fear had been confirmed and he didn’t know what to do. He was frozen to the spot, staring at his reflection in the mirror.

“Keith?” Lance’s voice called out from the other side of his closed bathroom door. When had he come in?

The red paladin began to panic. He couldn’t let Lance see him like this. “Go away!” He shouted out.

“Look, man. If this is about tackling you, I’m sor-”

“I said, go away!”

There was a moment of silence before he heard the muffled sound of his bedroom door opening and closing again. Once he was sure that he was alone, Keith slumped back against the wall and slid to the floor, hugging his knees to his chest. “This can’t be happening,” he murmured to himself. “This is just a dream. I’ll wake up and everything will be back to normal. I’ll be fine. I’ll be-” 

Keith quickly crawled over to the toilet, retching as he vomited up what little he had eaten that day. He rested his forearms on the rim to hold himself up as he took deep breaths. “Everything will be fine…”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of a short chapter but it is pure angst.

“Hey, has anyone seen Keith?”

There was a collective shaking of heads around the table as Lance took a seat next to Hunk. “I haven’t seen him since we were all on the training deck yesterday,” the yellow paladin replied.

“I know…” Lance rubbed his eyes with a sigh. “That’s what worries me. He looked really freaked out when he left and he wouldn’t even let me talk to him last night.”

“Dude, you’ve got it bad,” Pidge said, not looking up from their tablet and earning themselves a kick in the leg from Shiro. They yelped softly as the black paladin glared at them.

“I’m sure he’s fine,” Shiro assured them. “He probably just decided to sleep in this morning. If anyone needs it, it’s Keith.”

“Yeah.” Lance nodded slowly in agreement. “You’re probably right.”

“I’ll try checking in on him later. I mean, he’ll have to come out for training at some point, right?” Shiro offered him a small smile despite how worried he actually was.

\--------------------

Keith laid on the bathroom floor, his head throbbing and the taste of bile lingering in his mouth. He knew that he should get up, that he should find help, but he was scared. 

No, not scared. 

Absolutely fucking terrified. 

He didn’t want to see his reflection in the mirror, afraid of what he would see. Even if he went to the others for help, he had no idea how they would react to finding a monster like him on the ship.

That’s what he was now, right? A monster?

Keith had always kind of figured that by how people went out of their way to avoid him. It was almost like they knew he would metamorphosize into the monster he was within. 

The red paladin let out a shaky breath as he carefully pushed himself upright, sitting on the floor. The first change he saw was in his hands. His skin was purple and hairy. /Kind of like the Beast from X-Men/, he thought to himself, smiling a bit at the memory from Earth.

Earth.

There was no way he would ever be able to go back. Not like this. It’s not like there was anything waiting there for him anyway, but it still hurt to think about. He would never travel the world like he had dreamed of doing since he was a kid. He would never be able to take Lance to his favorite places-

Lance.

He could never let Lance see him like this. He couldn’t face the rejection. He didn’t want this purple, furry /thing/ to be the last thing Lance remembered about him. 

He would never have a normal life again.

Keith sat there and let the thought sink in. Everything was going to change and there was nothing he could do to stop it. All there was left to do was accept it.

Sighing softly, Keith grabbed the edge of the sink and carefully pulled himself up to his feet. He wasn’t surprised to see the purple face and glowing yellow eyes staring back at him. It was more the fact that he still looked somewhat like himself that startled him.

He stood there, frozen, staring at his reflection. This was who he was now. There was nothing he could do to change it.

He didn’t move until he heard the sound of his bedroom door sliding open. “Keith? You in here?” Shiro’s voice rang out loudly in Keith’s ears.

“Yeah,” he answered, just barely loud enough for the black paladin to hear.

“You okay, buddy? We missed you at breakfast.”

Keith felt a pull in his stomach and gripped the sink tightly with both hands. They were worried about him. No, they were worried about Keith, not the monster he was now. “Yeah, I… Actually, Shiro, I’m not feeling so hot.”

“Okay, do you want me to get Cor-”

“No!” Keith almost shouted. “No, I’m fine. I’ll be fine. I just… I’m pretty sure it’s contagious and I don’t want anyone else to get it, okay?”

There was a pause before Shiro finally answered. “Okay… I guess, just let me know if you need anything?”

“Yeah. Yeah, definitely. Just keep the others away.”

“I will. Just get better. We’re not as strong without you.”

Keith stood there in silence, making sure that Shiro was gone before letting out a quiet sob. Tears fell from his eyes and he couldn’t help but be reminded of what Lance had said to him only a few days ago. “It’s okay to cry.”


	4. Chapter 4

Keith didn’t leave the bathroom for days, spending most of his time curled up on the floor and avoiding his reflection in the mirror. He couldn’t bear to look at those glowing yellow eyes staring back at him.

He flinched at the sound of a knock on the bathroom door. “Keith?” It was Hunk again. The yellow paladin had been stopping by a couple times a day, bringing him bowls of soup. ‘Soup is the best remedy for sickness,’ he had told him the first time he came by. Keith was grateful for it now. He needed to eat, no matter how awful he felt.

“Yeah?” Keith’s voice was hoarse from crying, not that the others knew that was the reason. It just made it sound like he was actually sick.

“I’ve got another bowl of soup here for you,” Hunk replied. “Are you feeling any better? You know, maybe you should try one of the healing pods-”

“No. I’ll be okay. Thanks for the soup.”

He could hear Hunk’s sigh from the other side of the door. “We’re all worried about you, man. Shiro’s been throwing himself into training. Lance has been really quiet… We miss you.”

Keith let out a shaky breath, rubbing his eyes with the heel of his hand. “I know… I’m sorry.”

“It’s not something you need to apologize for. We just want to know that you’re okay. I know you don’t want to get anyone sick, but Coran’s probably got some sort of medicine to help.”

“I never needed medicine when I was on my own. I’ll be okay without it now.”

“You still don’t get it, do you?” Keith could hear the pain in Hunk’s voice. “You’re not alone anymore. You’ve got six other people who care about you. You’ve got the Red Lion, who misses you, too, by the way.”

“I’m sorry…” Keith said quietly as he hugged his knees to his chest. “I just don’t want to risk it.”

“And I get that,” Hunk replied, “but you can’t keep us away forever. Lance has been dying to come see you.”

The red paladin felt his face heat up. Lance still wanted to see him, despite how he had treated him the last time. Just the thought made his chest ache. “I’ll come out when I’m ready,” he sighed. “I’m really sorry, Hunk.”

“Yeah, I know.” There was a sigh from the other side of the door. “Honestly, I’m just glad you’ve been eating. That’s gotta be a good sign, right?”

“Yeah. Hopefully.”

There was a moment of silence before Hunk spoke again. “Well, I guess I’ll be back in the morning with another bowl. Hope you feel better, man.” There was the sound of the door sliding open and shut before the lonely silence returned.

Keith sat up slowly and opened the door just enough to reach out and grab the bowl of soup. He wasn’t really that hungry, but he knew that he needed to eat. With shaky hands, he carefully brought the bowl to his lips and sipped the warm liquid. He would have to remember to really thank Hunk for this later on. If he didn’t try to kill him first.

At this point, Keith wasn’t even afraid of the monster in the mirror anymore. He was more worried about losing his friends because of this. They were the only people he had and the thought of being alone again terrified him.

Keith furrowed his brows when he heard his bedroom door sliding open again and nearly spilled his soup all over himself when the intruder pounded on the door. “Keith!” Shiro shouted from the other side. “Open the door!”

The red paladin’s eyes widened and he shook his head. “N-No, Shiro, I can’t. You can’t see me like this.”

“Bullshit.” Keith frowned and curled in on himself some more. Shiro, a.k.a Dad of the Year, rarely swore and it made Keith nervous. “If you don’t open this door, I will.”

“Shiro, don’t-”

It was too late. Keith quickly turned his back to the door, covering his face with his arms as Shiro entered the bathroom. “What the hell are you doing, Keith?”

“Don’t! You can’t see me like this!”

Keith didn’t get the chance to fight back as he was turned to face Shiro. “What’re you talking about?” The black paladin’s voice had softened. “You look fine. Maybe a bit paler than normal, but still fine. Come on. You need to get in bed.”

“What?” Keith picked his head up and looked down at his hands, his eyes widening when he saw that they weren’t purple anymore. He nearly slipped on the floor as he scrambled to get a look at himself in the mirror. Pale skin. Grey eyes. He looked like himself again. Keith stared at his reflection in confusion, rubbing his eyes in disbelief. “What the hell?” He murmured softly as Shiro took his arm and led him to the bed.

“I can’t believe you’ve been sleeping there for three days,” Shiro scolded. “That can’t be good for your body.” Keith only shook his head in response as he allowed the black paladin to put him to bed, pulling the blanket over him. “Get some sleep. I’ll have someone check on you in the morning, okay?”

Keith nodded as he curled up under the blanket, watching as Shiro left the room. Now that he was comfortable, he was aware of all the aches and pains in his body from spending so much time on the bathroom floor. He didn’t care, though. He was back normal. He had no idea how it happened or why, but he hoped that it was over.


	5. Chapter 5

Another two days passed before Keith felt well enough to leave his room. Everyone smiled at him when he came in for breakfast that morning with excited exclamations of his name. 

“I’ve got a seat saved for you right here, buddy!” Lance said excitedly, pulling out the chair next to him.

Keith smiled a bit and sat next to the blue paladin as Coran placed a plate of goo in front of him. “It’s good to have you back on your feet,” the Altean smiled before returning to his seat.

“Thanks, Coran.” Keith nodded and picked up his spoon, pushing the goo around on its plate. He picked at his food, trying to make it at least look like he was eating as he listened to the others.

He looked up as there was a nudge at his side. “You should eat, man,” Lance said to him quietly, brows furrowed in concern. “Even just a little. Ease yourself back into it, you know?”

Keith frowned a bit and turned his eyes back down to his plate. “I’m not sure I’m ready for this yet,” he sighed.

“That’s okay. Just take your time. Don’t push yourself too hard.” Lance gave him a smile before returning to his own food.

Keith glanced over at the blue paladin through his bangs, smiling a bit. He looked up suddenly at the sound of someone clearing their throat. Pidge was looking right at him, a brow raised knowingly, and he felt his face heat up. Clearing his own throat, Keith stood and quietly excused himself from the table.

He didn’t look back, not wanting to see the worried expressions on everyone’s faces. If it was this hard on them already, he couldn’t bear to think about how they would react to the truth. If there was even anything to react to. He still wasn’t completely sure if his transformation was all in his head or not. But, god, did he hope it was. 

Keith walked through the halls until he suddenly found himself on the training deck. /Guess my feet knew what I needed before I did/, he thought to himself with a soft chuckle. He took his bayard from his belt and moved to stand in the middle of the room. “Start training level three,” he told the system and a gladiator bot was released.

He fought his way through the level until he was tired and covered in sweat. It probably hadn’t been the best idea to throw himself into training after being… out of commission for over a week, but he couldn’t stand constantly being under the watchful eyes of his team. He wiped the sweat from his forehead on his t-shirt as he took a moment to catch his breath.

“What’re you doing in here, man?”

Keith looked towards the door to find the blue paladin giving him a stern look. “I got sick of being cooped up all the time. What’s wrong with that?”

“What’s wrong with that?” Lance looked at him incredulously. “You’ve been sick for the past week! You didn’t even eat anything this morning and now you’re overexerting yourself with intense physical activity!”

“Lance, I’m fine. It was only a level three bot-”

“Oh, /only/ a level three. Come on, Keith. You should be taking it easy. You know what? You should probably still be in bed!”

Keith rolled his eyes as he ran his fingers through his hair and retracted his sword. “Who are you? My mom? Shiro? Just relax. I’m fi-”

His eyes widened when he looked down at the palm of his hand to see that his skin had turned purple once again. He clenched his fist and held it to his chest as he looked up at Lance.

The blue paladin looked at him with furrowed brows. “You okay?” He reached a hand out to Keith but pulled back when he saw him flinch. “Keith?”

“Don’t touch me!” Keith stepped back, eyes filled with panic. “Stay away from me!”

“Keith, I… What’s wrong?” Lance kept his voice soft. “Talk to me, man. I can help.”

“Just stay away!” The red paladin bolted from the room, leaving the training deck in a rush. 

Lance just stood there, staring after him with sad eyes, still looking on longingly as Shiro entered the room. “What’s his problem?” The black paladin asked, pointing his thumb back toward the door. “Lance? Everything okay?”

“Why does he hate me?”

“What?” Shiro was taken aback by Lance’s question. “He doesn’t hate you. Why would Keith hate you?”

“I don’t know.” Lance shrugged defeatedly, keeping his eyes on the floor. “It’s just… Lately, he’s always pushing me away. Like, I think everything’s fine and then something sets him off and he’s yelling at me and… Did I do something wrong?”

Shiro let out a heavy sigh and placed his hand on Lance’s shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze. “No. You didn’t do anything wrong. He’s still recovering from being sick and he’s probably just not all there yet.”

“You didn’t see the look on his face,” Lance sighed, brushing away Shiro’s hand. “It’s like he’s afraid of me or something.”

“Now, I know that’s not true. You’re his friend and teammate. He’s not afraid of you.” Shiro gave him a reassuring smile. “Maybe you should try talking to him about it?”

“How? All he does is shut me out. He gives me just a glimmer of hope that we’re okay again and then he pushes me away.”

“Lance, I don’t think it’s got anything to do with you. It’s probably just something he needs to work out on his own. Give it a day or two and then try talking to him again.”

“Yeah,” Lance sighed. “Whatever… I’m gonna go find Hunk or something.”

Shiro frowned as the blue paladin pushed past him and left the training deck. “Damn it, Keith…” He muttered to himself with a shake of his head.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I've finally watched all of season 2. There will be some minor spoilers from here on out, but it will probably not match up with a lot of what happened throughout the season.

Lance let out a heavy sigh as he walked through the doors of the kitchen, not surprised to find Hunk mixing up some space concoction. The blue paladin went over and hoisted himself up onto the counter, swinging his legs idly.

“Hey, man,” Hunk said with a smile as he stirred a strange purple substance in a bowl. “What’s up?”

“Nothing,” Lance replied, shrugging his shoulders. “What’cha makin’?”

“Oh, um… I’m trying to make a cake, but I’m not exactly sure what I’m putting in it so we’ll have to see how it turns out.”

“Hunk, everything you make is great. I’m sure this won’t be an exception.” Lance smiled a bit and scratched his cheek. “So, um… Can I ask you something? You know, leg to leg?”

The yellow paladin stopped stirring and set the bowl down, raising a brow at his friend. “Is this about Keith?”

“What? No!” Lance turn away when he felt his face heat up. “Of course it’s not about Keith. Why would it be about Keith? Not everything is about Keith, you know.”

“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe it’s because you haven’t stopped talking about him for the last two weeks?” Hunk raised a brow at him, smirking.

Lance deflated a bit. “Is it really that bad?”

“Well, I wouldn’t say it’s a bad thing.” Hunk shrugged. “Keith’s kind of a big part of your life, man. It’s natural to want to talk about him.”

“I just…” The blue paladin let out a heavy sigh. “I just want to know what I did wrong. All he seems to do anymore is yell at me and I don’t know why. Am I really that annoying?”

“What? No, of course not.” Hunk crossed his arms over his chest. “Lance, he’s your friend-”

“You didn’t see the look on his face,” he sighed, shaking his head. “Hunk, he… It was like he was afraid of me.”

“Oh, come on, Lance.” Hunk rolled his eyes. “You know that’s not true. He was probably just finally realizing his feelings for you or something.”

“Yeah. Maybe you’re- Wait, what?” Lance looked up at his friend, with furrowed brows. “What feelings? Keith only has two feelings: angry and annoyed.”

“Wow, you guys are stupid.”

“Hey! I take offense to that!”

“Lance, he’s practically in love with you. He has been for months. Everyone knows it.”

The blue paladin stared at him for a moment, mouth agape. “No. No, you’re lying just to make me feel better.”

“Do you really think I’d do that to you?” Hunk asked with a frown. “You’ve liked him since the day you met. Why would I lie to you about this?”

Lance shook his head. “I just… I don’t get it. If he likes me, why does he keep pushing me away?”

“Maybe he’s scared?” Hunk shrugged his shoulders.

Lance let out a sigh of frustration, running his hands through his hair. “I don’t… I don’t know what to do.”

Hunk stepped forward and put his hands on Lance’s shoulders. “Lance, as your best friend, all I want is for you to be happy and I will make sure that happens. If that means giving you a nudge towards a moody, mullet-haired boy, so be it. Now-” He pulled Lance down off his spot on the counter and turned him toward the door. “Go talk to him!”

Lance stumbled as Hunk pushed him forward, walking out the door and toward Keith’s room before his courage had the chance to leave him. He kept his back straight, his shoulders back, as he walked down the hall. Before he knew it, he was standing in front of Keith’s door.

He bit his lip as he tried to come up with some kind of excuse to walk away. Then he heard it. Muffled sobs came from the other side of the door and it was enough to convince Lance to walk right in. “Keith?”

The blue paladin froze, his eyes wide as he stared at the Galra before him. No, he thought. “What have you done with Keith?” He asked, his fists clenched at his sides. He spotted Keith’s knife and made a quick move to grab it.

“Lance?” Keith’s voice was quiet. “Lance, please, I… I don’t want you to see me like this.”

“Stop it!” The blue paladin shouted as he grabbed the Galra from behind, holding Keith’s knife to his neck. “Where’s Keith?!”

“Lance, I don’t want to fight you.”

“If you don’t tell me what you’ve done with Keith, I swear I’ll kill you!”

“Do it… Please.”

Lance furrowed his brows as the Galra slumped in front of him and began to cry. “What the hell?” He said softly as he lowered his arms. He turned the Galra to face him and the knife fell from his hand with a gasp.

He watched as Keith covered his face with his hands, sobbing quietly. Keith sat on the edge of his bed, shaking his head as he cried. “Lance, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I don’t know what happened and now I’m one of them.”

“Hey…” Lance kept his voice soft as he knelt down in front of Keith, more than confused. He didn’t know what to say. All he knew was that, for some reason, Keith was a Galra and he was crying and terrified. “Keith… We’ll figure this out, okay?”

Keith looked up at him with yellow eyes, biting back more tears. “How? I’m a fucking Galra, Lance! I’m the enemy!”

“No.” Lance shook his head, taking Keith’s hands in his own. “You’re the red paladin of Voltron. You’re a hero and an amazing pilot. You’re my friend and I lo-” He stopped and cleared his throat. “I… care about you. As a friend. Because we’re friends. Buddies. Pals. Amigos-”

“Yeah, I get it. We’re best buds.” Keith sighed, pulling his hand away.

“Keith…” The blue paladin shook his head. “Keith, you- You’re more to me than that,” he said softly. “But we can figure that out later. Right now, we need to focus on you, okay? When did this happen?”

“I… Remember when I yelled at you during breakfast? You said it looked like I had been crying, but…”

“So, it didn’t just happen overnight?” Lance asked with furrowed brows.

Keith shook his head. “It started with my eyes, then there was the purple patch of skin on my chest. It just… progressively got worse.”

“But you were fine earlier today. What happened?”

“I don’t know! I wish I did, but…” Keith shook his head, hiding his face in his hands.

“Whoa. Hey. Keith, look at me.” Lance carefully removed Keith’s hands from his face, replacing them with his own. “I need you to calm down for me, okay, buddy? We’re going to figure this out. I promise.”

“H-How?” Keith’s voice was soft, broken.

“I… We’ll talk to the others. Maybe Coran and Allura will know what to do?”

“Allura wants nothing to do with the Galra.” Keith shook his head. “Remember how she treated Ulaz? He was on our side. He sacrificed himself to save us and she still thinks all the Galra are the enemy.”

“I’ll talk to them,” Lance replied softly, shaking his head. “I’ll get them to understand. You’re part of the team. They can’t just turn you away.” He gently brushed back the hair from Keith’s eyes. “You’re not alone in this, okay? I won’t leave you.”

“Promise?” Keith’s voice was so quiet that Lance almost didn’t hear him.

Lance stared at him for a moment before he leaned in, gently pressing his lips to Keith’s forehead. He felt Keith tense and pulled away, gently running his fingers through his purple-black hair. “Promise.”


	7. Chapter 7

Lance sat up with a quiet sigh, glancing back at Keith’s sleeping form. It had taken hours to get him calmed down, but they both had fallen asleep fairly easily. Lance was relieved to see that Keith was beginning to look more like himself again. His hair had returned to its natural black, his skin a paler shade of purple, and his ears more humanoid. But it was still obvious that he wasn’t completely human.

The blue paladin knew that he had to do something; he couldn’t let Keith live in fear any longer. Lance stood with a sigh, freezing for a moment when he felt a hand wrap around his wrist. “Where’re you goin’?” Keith mumbled tiredly.

Lance smiled softly and sat back down. “I’ve gotta go talk to the others,” he said softly, smiling a bit when he saw that Keith’s eyes were no longer glowing yellow. “You’re looking more like yourself.”

“But that’s not good enough, is it?” Keith frowned, avoiding his friend’s gaze.

“Hey, don’t be like that.” Lance shook his head. “We’re gonna figure this out, but not on our own. You’ve gotta let me talk to the others. I know you’re scared, but we can’t do this on our own.”

Keith looked up at him with furrowed brows. “But… What if they don’t want to help?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Of course they will. They care about you. They’re not going to just push you away. I won’t let them.”

There was a moment of silence before Keith finally let go of Lance’s wrist. “Promise?”

“Promise.” Lance nodded with a small smile. “I won’t be gone long, okay?” He waited for a nod from Keith before standing and leaving the room.

As he walked through the corridors of the castle, Lance went over everything that had happened. Keith was at least part Galra and he wasn’t sure how to deal with that. What would happen if Zarkon found out? How would the others react? Was there a way to fix this?

Lance rubbed his face with a sigh as he walked into the dining hall and took a seat next to Hunk. “So? How’d it go?” The yellow paladin asked with a smile, nudging him with his elbow.

“What?” Lance looked up at him with furrowed brows.

“With Keith. You went to talk to him, didn’t you?”

“Come on, Hunk,” Pidge said from across the table. “It’s never going to happen. They’re both too stubborn.”

“Actually,” Lance said as everyone turned their eyes to him, “I stayed with him last night.”

Silence filled the room as Lance’s words sunk in. “So…” Hunk started. “You two are officially a thing now?”

“I said that I stayed with him, not that we’re together.”

“Is Keith alright?” Shiro’s voice broke through the confused silence that remained after Lance’s words. “Is he still sick?”

“Something like that,” Lance sighed, running his fingers through his hair. “There’s something I need to tell you guys, but you need to promise me that you won’t freak out.”

“Lance.” Shiro gave him a stern look. “What’s going on with Keith?”

“I…” He sighed in frustration and put his head in his hands. “He… He’s a Galra. Or at least part Galra. He keeps shifting back and forth and why don’t know why. We don’t know how to stop it.”

“What?”

“You’re kidding.”

“That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.”

“It’s the truth!” Lance exclaimed, ceasing the others’ endless comments of skepticism. “Keith, he… He really is a Galra. I don’t know why it’s happening or how, but he is. We need to find a way to fix it.”

“I don’t believe this.” Lance looked up to see Allura on her feet, shaking her head. “If there were Galra on this ship, we would know about it.”

“How could we if he didn’t even know until a couple weeks ago?” He asked softly. “Guys, he’s terrified. That’s why he’s been hiding away in his room.”

“If he really is a Galra, why hasn’t he attacked us yet?”

“Princess,” Coran scolded her.

“Don’t, Coran. You know just as well as I that the Galra are vile, traitorous creatures. If there is one aboard this ship, then we must destroy it.”

There was a collective gasp throughout the room and Lance felt his stomach twist in a knot. “How could you say that? This is Keith we’re talking about! He would never hurt any of us!”

“How can we possibly trust him if he is one of them?”

“Because he’s our friend!” Lance shouted as he stood, glaring at the princess. “Do you really think the Red Lion would trust him if he were one of them?”

“Everyone just calm down,” Shiro said. “We’ll figure this out, okay? Where’s Keith now?”

“He’s still in bed,” Lance replied, turning his eyes to the black paladin. “Shiro, he’s so scared. I… I don’t know how to help him.”

“Maybe I can try talking to h-”

“No!” His eyes went wide at Shiro’s suggestion. “Don’t. Shiro, please, he’s not ready.”

“Then how are we supposed to help him?” Shiro asked with furrowed brows. 

“Just… Give him time. That’s all I can think to do until he’s ready.”

“Until he’s ready for what?” Allura asked, arms crossed over his chest. “For the right moment to attack?”

“He’s not going to attack us!” Lance shouted at her, banging his fist on the table. “You’re so fucking focused on the enemy that you can’t see how much one of the paladins, one of your friends, is hurting!”

“Lance.”

“How can you possibly feel so threatened by this that you would suggest killing one of our own?”

“Lance.”

“Keith is our friend! He’s a part of Team Voltron! He wouldn’t even hesitate to sacrifice himself for this team, but when he needs us the most, you think that killing him is the best option?”

“Lance!” The blue paladin turned his eyes to Shiro. “Go take care of Keith. We’ll try to figure this out.”

“Don’t tell me you’re okay with her talking about Keith like that.” Lance stared at him incredulously.

“I didn’t say that. Now go take care of Keith.”

“But-”

“Go. He shouldn’t be alone right now.”

Lance sighed in defeat, nodding his head slowly as he stepped away from the table. “Fine. Just… Don’t hurt him.”

“No one’s going to hurt him,” Shiro replied with a shake of his head.

Lance nodded again as he turned and left the room. He ran his fingers through his hair, fighting the urge to punch something. That went horribly and he didn’t know how he was supposed to tell Keith. How was he supposed to tell him how quick Allura was to condemn him? How was he supposed to explain the expressions of shock and horror on their friends’ faces?

He paused outside of Keith’s door, scratching the back of his head as he tried to think of the words to say. The door opened suddenly and Lance was surprised to see Keith standing in front of him. He hadn’t changed any more since Lance had left. “H-How’d it go?” Keith asked quietly.

Lance stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. “They’re talking it over.”

Keith’s eyes widened as he stumbled back a bit, shaking his head. “They’re going to send me away…”

“No. Keith…” Lance stepped forward and wrapped his arms around the red paladin. “Keith, they’re not going to send you away. I won’t let them. Shiro won’t let them” He let out a quiet sigh as he felt Keith relax in his arms. “You’re not going anywhere.”


	8. Chapter 8

Lance sat on the edge of Keith’s bed, gently running his fingers through his friend’s hair as he slept. He was thankful for that because, when he wasn’t sleeping, Keith was crying and he couldn’t stand to see him like that. Keith had been even more of a mess since Lance had returned from talking to the others and the blue paladin wasn’t sure of what to do anymore. He didn’t know what to say. He didn’t even believe half the words he said anymore.

“It’ll be okay.”

“No one’s going to hurt you.”

“They’re not going to send you away.”

“You’re not like them.”

“I won’t leave you.”

That’s all Lance had really said to him, trying to calm him down, but it had gotten to the point that neither of them really believed it anymore. If things were going well, someone would have come to talk to them hours ago. Lance thought about going to find out what was going on, but he couldn’t risk Keith waking up alone. 

Lance looked up from Keith’s sleeping form when there was a knock on the door. He carefully tucked the blanket around Keith, making sure he was hidden from view before going to the door. He wasn’t surprised to see Shiro standing there once the door had slid open, and took in the tired look on the black paladin’s face. Lance let out a sigh and stepped out into the hall, making sure the door closed behind him. 

“So?” Lance asked quietly, rubbing the back of his neck. “What’s the plan?”

“Coran thinks he may be able to stabilize his genes and keep him human for a while,” Shiro said. “But that means he’d have to come out. He’d have to let us see him.”

“I… I’ll talk to him, but I don’t know how ready he is for that,” he sighed. “What about Allura?”

“She, um… She hasn’t changed her stance. I thought that if we had Coran on our side, she might change her mind, but…”

“Fuck.” Lance rubbed his face and began pacing. “Shiro, this isn’t going to work if she keeps thinking he’s the enemy. We need him on the team, but he isn’t even safe here.”

“Lance, I know. I get it, but… My thought is, if she sees him and how much pain he’s in, maybe she’ll realize that she’s wrong about the whole thing?”

“When has Allura ever admitted she was wrong about something?”

“I don’t know, but that’s not the point,” Shiro sighed. “You want to help Keith, right?”

“Well, yeah,” Lance nodded, pausing for a moment. “Of course I do.”

“Then talk to him about Coran’s plan. Don’t worry about Allura. Let me handle her. Just focus on Keith.”

“Okay,” Lance sighed, running his fingers through his hair. “You’re right. Keith needs me. Just… Get everyone to the medbay and I’ll try to get him there soon.”

Shiro nodded. “Take your time. Don’t push him too hard.”

“I won’t” He shook his head. “And, Shiro… Thanks.” The black paladin smiled a bit, patting him on the shoulder before turning down the hallway. 

Lance watched him go for a moment before heading back into Keith’s room, smiling a bit when he saw that he was still asleep. He sat on the bed and carefully pulled the blanket back to reveal Keith’s purple face. He didn’t want to wake him; Keith was sleeping so peacefully and he didn’t want to force him to face reality again.

With a heavy sigh, Lance gently placed his hand on Keith’s shoulder. “Keith? Buddy, I need you to wake up for me. Come on.”

Keith shifted with a quiet groan, rolling onto his back to look up at the blue paladin. “Wha’s goin’ on?” He asked softly, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

“Coran might have found a way to help,” Lance replied softly, pushing Keith’s hair back out of his eyes. “But you’d have to go to the med bay. Everyone’s waiting for us”

“E-Everyone?”

“Yeah,” he nodded. “They just want to help. No one’s going to hurt you.”

“What about Allura?” Keith bit his lip softly.

“Don’t worry about her. I won’t let her anywhere near you. Promise.”

Keith closed his eyes for a moment before sitting up with a sigh. “Are you sure this is a good idea? I mean, what if it doesn’t work?”

“It will work,” Lance said, feigning confidence. “When has Coran ever let us down?”

“But what if he feels the same as Allura? What if he hates me, too, and he’s just trying to get rid of me?”

“Hey, stop it.” Lance carefully cupped Keith’s face in his hands. “Stop it. Coran’s been trying to get her on our side. He’s not trying to get rid of you. No one is. We’re not Voltron without you.”

“I…” Keith hesitated for a moment before nodding his head. “Okay. We… We should go before I change my mind.”

Lance smiled a bit at that and pressed his lips to Keith’s forehead before standing. He held a hand out to him. “Let’s go.”

Keith gingerly reached forward and took Lance’s hand as he got to his feet. With a shaky breath, he followed Lance out of his room, nervously awaiting his friends’ reactions.


	9. Chapter 9

The two boys walked through the halls of the castle, hand in hand. Lance could hardly keep his eyes off Keith, he was so worried. The red paladin held onto him tightly as he glanced around anxiously. Seeing him like this broke Lance’s heart.

Every couple of minutes, Keith would stop and try to convince Lance to take him back to his room. But the blue paladin would smile softly, squeeze his hand gently, and assure him that he would be okay. Sometimes it took a little more convincing than just that, but they eventually made it to the medbay. 

They stopped outside the doors and Lance turned to Keith, taking both of his hands in his own. “”Okay. I’m gonna go in and make sure they’re ready for you. Will you be okay here on your own for a few minutes?”

Keith kept his eyes on their joined hands. “What if they aren’t all in there yet?”

“They are,” Lance assured him. “I had Shiro makes sure that they are. Just… Promise me you’ll stay right here?”

The red paladin looked up to meet Lance’s blue eyes, nodding a bit. “Yeah… Promise.”

Lance gave him a small smile as he brought one of Keith’s hands to his lips, kissing it gently. “I’ll be right back.”

Keith nodded, biting his lip as he felt his face heat up. He reached out to Lance as he let go of his hands and disappeared through the doors.

\-------------

All eyes were on Lance as he entered the medbay. Hunk, Pidge, and Coran all looked at him with furrowed expressions. Shiro was stoic as ever and Allura turned her back to him. 

Lance exhaled deeply as he stepped further into the room. “He’s waiting outside, but… You guys gotta promise that you won’t freak out or act weird. He’s shaken up enough as it is.”

“We won’t,” Shiro said with a nod. “We just want to help him.”

“I know, but it’s not you I’m worried about,” Lance said as he crossed his arms over his chest, not taking his eyes off the princess.

“She’s not going to do anything.”

Shiro’s words didn’t do much to assure Lance. “I want to hear it from her.”

“Lance-”

“Don’t, Shiro. This is Keith we’re talking about. I need to know that he’s going to be safe. I need to know that she’s not gonna try to pull anything.”

“The princess agreed-”

“I want to hear it from her.”

Allura turned to face them, scowling a bit. “We’ve agreed that I won’t touch him unless he makes the first move.”

“And you’re gonna stick to that?” Lance asked with a raised brow.

“You have my word.”

Lance looked her over before nodding. “Okay. But if you try anything, I swear to god-” He sighed, rubbing his forehead. “I’d better go get him.”

The blue paladin turned his back on the others and made his way towards the door. It slid open and he stepped out into the dimly lit hallway, glancing around for his friend. “Keith? Come on, buddy, they’re ready for you.”

“I can’t.” 

Lance turned around to find Keith huddled up in a corner. Slowly, he took a few steps toward him, keeping his voice soft. “You can’t what? Talk to me, babe.”

Keith wrapped his arms around himself, keeping his eyes down. “Well… What if they change their minds once they see me?”

Lance stared at his friend incredulously before shaking his head. “No. They’re not going to change their minds. They’re your friends, Keith. They care about you. They just want to help.”

“But Allura-”

“Forget about Allura.” Lance shook his head, taking Keith’s hands in his own. “Just focus on me. Don’t take your eyes off me for a second. You won’t even notice the others are there. Can you do that for me?”

Keith looked up and finally met the blue paladin’s eyes. “I…” He shook his head, a sb wracking through his body.

“Whoa, Keith-” He instinctively wrapped his arms around the red paladin, pulling him close. “Keith, it’s okay, buddy. I’ve got you.” He rubbed Keith’s back gently. “You can do this. I know you can. I’ll be with you the whole time.”

Keith practically melted in Lance’s arms, leaning his head against the blue paladin’s chest as he let out a shaky breath. “I’m scared…”

“I know, buddy,” Lance replied softly. “But I won’t let them hurt you. You know I won’t.”

Neither of them said anything for a moment, just standing there and holding onto each other. This gave Keith a chance to calm down and get his breathing under control. There was no way he’d be able to face the others if he didn’t at least do that.

A few more minutes passed between them before Keith finally pulled away enough to wipe the tears from his face. “Okay,” he sniffled. “I think I’m ready.”

Lance nodded, his brows furrowed as he watched him. “If you get overwhelmed, just let me know, okay? Take your time.” He released Keith from his embrace and held a hand out to him.

The red paladin shook his head at Lance. “We don’t need to give them another thing to talk about.”

Lance dropped his hand, trying to hide his disappointment behind a smile. “Alright, then. Let’s do this.”

The doors slid open as they stepped toward them, entering the medbay. The others were all standing together, smiles on their faces. “Keith!” Hunk exclaimed as he surged forward. Keith barely had time to brace himself for impact before the yellow paladin had his arms around him in a tight hug. “We missed you, man!”

When Hunk released him, Keith glanced over at Lance with a confused expression before looking down at his hands. While one was it’s normal color, the other was still purple, which perplexed him even more. “I… I don’t… What?”

“What? Did you really think we’d change our minds about you just because you’re purple in some places?” Hunk raised a brow at him, smiling a bit. “You’re still you, right?”

Keith stared up at him a moment longer before glancing around at the others. Coran, Pidge, and Shiro were all smiling at him while Allura looked him over with a blank expression. “I-I mean… Yeah, I guess I’m still me.”

“Are you sure? You and Lance aren’t bickering and it’s kinda worrying-”

“Pidge,” Shiro scolded them before turning to Keith. “It’s good to have you back.”

Keith glanced back at Lance to find him with a big smile on his face. “So, um… Lance said Coran had an idea to make me… less purple?”

“That’s right!” Coran grinned as he ushered Keith over to an exam table. “I’ll need you to just lay down here so that I can get a scan of your body and then I can program one of the pods according to the results.”

The red paladin let out a quiet sigh of relief when he turned his head to find that Lance was still at his side. He hoisted himself up onto the table before laying back. The cool metal of the table caused a shiver to run through his body as a pit of nervousness settled low in his stomach. Letting out a shaky breath, he held out a hand to Lance, who quickly took it and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

“You okay?” Lance asked him quietly.

Keith nodded and turned his head to look at Coran, who was smiling at them. “So, what happens now?”

“Now you just need to lay still while I scan your body,” the Altean said, holding the scanner in his hand. 

He started at Keith’s feet, holding it out over him as a blue light emanated from it. Coran moved it up Keith’s body and back down until it beeped, the results appearing on the screen behind him. He turned to read it over, stroking his chin with a nod. “Just as I suspected. Your genes are unstable due to the radioactive exposure of your new environment. They can decide which form to take. That’s why you keeping switching from human to Galra.”

Keith nodded slowly as Coran’s words sunk in, glancing up at Lance when he spoke. “Are the pods really going to be able to fix that, though?”

“Of course,” Coran assured Lance with a smile. “With a few modifications, of course. Pidge has been helping me with that.”

“Is it ready?” Lance asked as he helped Keith to sit up on the table.

“It should be, yes.”

“What happens after I get out of the pod?” Keith asked. “I’ll be back to normal?”

“That’s the idea.” Coran opened the pod as Lance led Keith over to it. “You’ll be in here for about two days and then you should look like yourself again.”

Keith stared at the pod for a moment before stepping inside. He frowned when he saw the worried look on Lance’s face. “I’m gonna be okay. Two days and I’ll be back. That’s what he said.”

Lance didn’t get the chance to respond as the pod closed shut.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who wrote a chapter instead of doing their homework like a responsible adult?

The pod hissed as it slid open, allowing Keith to stumble forward. His head was throbbing, causing his vision to blur as he struggled to keep his balance. After a moment of steady breathing, he took a step forward and glanced around the room. Much to his surprise, the medbay was empty.

“Lance?” Keith called out, holding his head as he took a few steps forward. “Shiro? Anyone?”

He slowly made his way over to the door, keeping his hand on the wall to steady himself as he exited the medbay and stepped into the empty corridor. He scratched the back of his head as he glanced both ways before deciding to make his way towards the control room. There had to be someone there. If not, he was bound to run into someone at some point. 

He walked through the quiet corridor, rubbing his eyes as his vision went in and out of focus, still adjusting to being out of the healing pod. Suddenly, Keith was pushed back against the wall with a gasp, hitting his head harshly. He struggled a bit at first until he realized who he was dealing with.

“Did you really think I would just let you wander freely about the castle?” Allura hissed at him. “I will not let another Galra infiltrate our ranks. I will not be deceived again!”

“A-Allura…” Keith looked up at her with furrowed brows and shook his head. “Princess, I’m still me. I’m from Earth. I would never hurt anyone on this team.”

“Enough of your lies, Galra!” She slammed him back against the wall again, causing him to wince in pain. “I should have done away with you the moment I found out.”

“I’m not going to fight you, princess.” He shook his head. “Do what you want with me, but I won’t fight back. I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Not now, maybe. But there won’t be anything to stop you in the future.” She threw him down to the ground. “No, you’re going to wait for the perfect moment to attack. You’re going to gain our trust and then throw it back in our faces!”

Keith slowly got to his feet, holding his hands up in defense. “Allura, I’m not like them. I’m not like Zarkon. I’m your fr-” 

The princess swung at him, her fist colliding with his face and knocking him to the ground again. Keith stared up at her in shock as blood dribbled from his nose. He wiped some of the blood off onto his arm, smearing some of it across his cheek, and got to his feet again. “Fine! If this is what’s going to make you feel better, go ahead. Hit me! We both know I deserve it anyway. I mean, why would you want a Galra on the ship? I’m the enemy, right? No one wants me around here anymore.” He shook his head, fighting back the sting of tears in his eyes as he continued to shout at the princess. “Just do it! Just end it already! They’re better off without me, so just kill me already!”

Allura stepped back at his words, her lip curling slightly in disgust, hands quivering by her sides as if holding herself back. As Keith continued to stare her down however, panting slightly and wincing as blood dripped slowly from his nose, she took another step back, her expression shifting from mistrust to confusion, then to horror in short order. 

“Keith, I…” Tears began to leak from her eyes as she crumpled forward slightly, her fighting stance faltering as the weight she had been holding, all the suspicion and tension that had been warring inside her, gave in. “I’m so sorry. I-I can’t believe I… You’d really rather die than go on like this?” She stepped toward him, reaching a faltering hand out to touch his shoulder, as if expecting him to pull away. When he didn’t flinch away, she solidified her hold. “I made you feel like this. I… I assumed you were like the others. But you’re my friend. H-How could I have been so stupid?”

Keith stared at her with furrowed brows, surprised by her change in demeanor. “So… You’re not going to kill me?” He asked her quietly.

The princess shook her head as tears continued to fall from her eyes. “Keith, I’m so sorry. I don’t know how you could ever forgive me.”

“No, Allura.” He shook his head. “I… It’s okay. I wouldn’t trust myself either.”

“Keith, it’s not okay! I could have-”

“Princess. Just… Forget about it, okay? I’m fine. Really.”

She looked at him for a moment before nodding, letting out a quiet sigh of defeat. “I will not forget this, but… I’ll let it go. Um… You might want to have Coran look at your nose. Is it supposed to bleed like that?”

Keith shrugged his shoulders. “I’ve had worse. You wouldn’t happen to know where the others are, would you?”

“Coran and Shiro were on the control deck. I think I saw Lance go in there as well.”

He nodded and turned to leave, but Allura grabbed his wrist gently to stop him. “He’s been worried about you, you know. He’s hardly eaten or slept since you went into the healing pod.”

Keith smiled softly. “Well, I’ll make sure he’s taken care of now that I’m back.”

The princess nodded and smiled in return before releasing him. “Go get him, now.”

Keith’s face flushed bright red as he nodded and turned to make his way towards the control deck.


	11. Chapter 11

Shiro rubbed his forehead with a sigh as he watched Lance pace the width of the control room. The blue paladin had been going on and on about how the need to take care of Keith once he got out of the healing pod for the last hour. Coran and Shiro had given up on trying to interrupt him a while ago and exchanged exasperated glances here and there. 

“-But the most important thing we need to do is make sure that Keith is never alone with Allura. We have no idea what’s going through her head and she could try to hurt him. He wouldn’t even fight back. He’d just let her do what she wanted with him and-”

“Whoa, Lance. What’re you talking about?” Shiro finally butt in. “What do you mean, he wouldn’t fight back?”

Lance looked over at him with a sad expression on his face. “Because he didn’t when I first found him.” He sighed, lowering his gaze as he rubbed his forehead and sniffled softly* “He told me to kill him…”

“But he’ll be human once he emerges from the pod,” Coran tried to sound hopeful. “She won’t have a reason to attack him-”

“You can’t change his DNA, Coran.” Lance shook his head with a sigh. “We just need to make sure that he isn’t alone when he wakes up and Allura definitely can’t be the one to be there when he does.”

“Lance, she’s not going to hurt him,” Shiro sighed. “She gave us her word.”

“And you expect me to believe that?! She didn’t even give Keith a chance, Why should we give her one?”

Shiro’s gaze wandered over to the door as it hissed open. “Lance.”

“She wants him dead, Shiro! We can’t risk leaving her alone with him! We don’t know what she’ll do!”

“Lance.” Coran glanced at Shiro and followed the black paladin’s gaze to the door.

“No, I’m not going to let her hurt him, Shiro. He needs to have someone with him at all times or-”

“Lance.”

The blue paladin froze when he heard the voice behind him, turning slowly. A smile spread across his face when he saw Keith standing in the doorway. Relief coursed through him as he ran over and wrapped his arms around Keith tightly. The red paladin hugged him in return with a grin on his face.

It wasn’t until Lance pulled away to make sure that he really had returned to normal that he noticed to blood dripping from Keith’s nose and smeared across his face. His brows furrowed as he gently took Keith’s face in his hands. “Oh, my god. What happened? Are you okay? Do you need to go back in a pod? We can get Coran to fix it?”

“Lance, I’m fine. I’m great, actually.” Keith smiled.

“But you’re bleeding! What happened?” He gasped suddenly. “Allura got to you, didn’t she?”

The red paladin bit his lip and shook his head. “No,” he lied. “I, um… I fell when the pod opened. I was still pretty out of it, couldn’t catch myself in time.”

Lance looked away from him with a frown. “I’m sorry. I should’ve been there. You shouldn’t have had to wake up alone.”

“Hey.” Keith gently turned Lance’s face back to him. “It’s okay. I’m okay.” He smiled softly, gentle rubbing his thumb over Lance’s cheekbone. He just wanted to ease Lance’s worry, to see his smile light up the room like it always did. Keith bit his lip softly before leaning in to gently press a kiss to Lance’s lips. 

He felt Lance relax in his arms as their eyes fell closed, shutting out the others in the room. The two of them were in their own little world until Lance suddenly pushed him away. “Dude, you’re getting blood all over my face!” Keith rolled his eyes with a soft chuckle as he watched the blue paladin wipe the blood from his nose and upper lip. “And I was gonna kiss you first!” 

The pout on Lance’s face made Keith smile as he shrugged his shoulders. “Well, we could always start over and you can kiss me now?”

“No. Nope. Not happening.” Lance said adamantly as he shook his head with his arms crossed over his chest. “Not while you’ve got blood all over your face. Not until you get cleaned up.”

Keith rolled his eyes again and pulled him close, trapping him in his arms as he peppered kisses all over Lance’s face. The blue paladin’s serious demeanor slipped as his body shook with laughter and he halfheartedly tried to push Keith away from him. But Keith kept his hold on him, smiling happily as he continued.

“Get a room!”

“Pidge!”

Keith finally pulled back, glancing back at the door to find Pidge and Hunk smirking deviously. Allura stood behind them, a small smile gracing her lips. Lance pushed him away again while he was distracted, still smiling as he wiped his face on the sleeve of his jacket. “Come on, man. Now it’s everywhere!”

“Yeah, but you still love me.” Keith grinned at him.

Lance gave him a fond look. “Yeah, but that doesn’t mean I want your blood all over my face!”

Pidge made gagging sounds behind them and Keith looked up just in time to see Shiro shoot them a look. He turned back to Lance, smiling happily. “What?” The blue paladin asked with a raised brow.

“You love me.”

“Well, it’s not like it was ever really a secret.” Lance shrugged.

Keith reached out to wrap his arms around him again, leaning in close to whisper in his ear. “I love you, too.”


End file.
